JP7464025B2 - Item storage facility, item storage method, and item storage program - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to an item storage facility, an item storage method, and an item storage program.

An example of an item storage facility is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2007-238302 (Patent Document 1). In the following description of the background art, the reference numerals in Patent Document 1 will be cited in parentheses. The item storage facility of Patent Document 1 includes an item storage shelf (11) and a stacker crane (17) that transports items (W) along the front of the shelf, which is the front of the item storage shelf (11). The item storage shelf (11) includes a number of spaces partitioned in the longitudinal direction and vertical direction of the item storage shelf (11), and each space includes a front shelf (12) arranged to face the stacker crane (17) and a rear shelf (13) located behind the front shelf (12). The front shelf (12) and the rear shelf (13) arranged in one space form a front and rear shelf assembly (14).

As described in paragraph 0003 of Patent Document 1, when an item storage shelf (11) has a front and rear shelf assembly (14), typically, an item (W) to be stored first is stored on the back shelf (13), and an item (W) to be stored later is stored on the front shelf (12). And, as described in paragraph 0027 of Patent Document 1, when an item (W) to be removed, that is, an item to be removed (Wa) is present on the back shelf (13), the item (W) on the front shelf (12) is evacuated to another front and rear shelf assembly (14), and then the item to be removed (Wa) is taken out.

JP 2007-238302 A

As described above, in the article storage equipment of Patent Document 1, the storage section of the storage shelf (in Patent Document 1, the front and rear shelf assembly of the article storage shelf) is configured to be able to store multiple items (two items in Patent Document 1) lined up in the shelf depth direction. If another item is stored on the front side of the shelf than the outgoing item, which is the item to be taken out of the storage shelf, a reordering process is performed to move the other item (the item on the front shelf in Patent Document 1) to another storage section. Since such a reordering process can lead to a decrease in the efficiency of outgoing items, it is desirable to keep the frequency of reordering processes as low as possible. However, although Patent Document 1 describes the priority order of storage positions when outgoing items are restocked, it does not describe the storage positions when items other than the item to be restocked are stored, and does not disclose any technology for keeping the frequency of reordering processes low for the entire storage shelf.

Therefore, when the storage section of a storage shelf is configured to be able to store multiple items lined up in the shelf depth direction, it is desirable to realize technology that can reduce the frequency of reordering operations for the entire storage shelf.

The item storage facility according to the present disclosure is an item storage facility including a storage shelf having a plurality of storage sections, a conveying device that conveys items along the shelf front surface that is the front surface of the storage shelf, and a control system that controls the conveying device, in which a direction perpendicular to the shelf front surface is defined as a shelf depth direction, the side of the shelf front surface in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf front side, and the side opposite to the shelf front surface side in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf back side, and the storage section is configured to be able to accommodate a plurality of the items lined up in the shelf depth direction, the conveying device is equipped with a transfer device that moves the items from the shelf front side in the shelf depth direction relative to the storage shelf to remove the items from the storage section and store the items in the storage section, and the control system is equipped with item type information that indicates the item type, which is the type of the item. The system has a memory unit in which the information on the number of items to be delivered and the delivery frequency information indicating the delivery frequency for each type are stored in association with each other, the items of the item type whose delivery frequency is equal to or greater than a specified high frequency threshold are defined as high frequency items, the items of the item type whose delivery frequency is less than the high frequency threshold are defined as normal items, the positions at which the multiple items are respectively stored in the storage unit are defined as storage positions, one or more of the storage positions among the multiple storage positions in one storage unit that are closest to the front side of the shelf are defined as first storage positions, and one or more of the storage positions that are closer to the rear side of the shelf than the first storage positions are defined as normal storage positions, and the control system controls the conveying device to preferentially store the high frequency items in the first storage positions and the normal items in the normal storage positions.

The item storage method according to the present disclosure is an item storage method executed by the control system in an item storage facility including a storage shelf having a plurality of storage sections, a transport device that transports items along a shelf front surface that is the front surface of the storage shelf, and a control system that controls the transport device, in which a direction perpendicular to the shelf front surface is defined as a shelf depth direction, the side of the shelf front surface in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf front side, and the side opposite to the shelf front surface side in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf back side, and the storage section is configured to be able to store a plurality of the items lined up in the shelf depth direction, the transport device is equipped with a transfer device that moves the items from the shelf front side in the shelf depth direction relative to the storage shelf, and removes the items from the storage section and stores the items in the storage section, and Based on information associating item type information indicating the item type and outgoing frequency information indicating the outgoing frequency for each type, the device controls the conveying device to preferentially store the high-frequency items in the first storage position and the normal items in the normal storage position, based on information associating item type information indicating the item type and outgoing frequency information indicating the outgoing frequency for each item type, the device controls the conveying device to preferentially store the high-frequency items in the first storage position and the normal items in the normal storage position, based on information associating item type information indicating the outgoing frequency of the item type and outgoing frequency of the item type which is equal to or greater than a specified high-frequency threshold value and which is equal to or less than the high-frequency threshold value and which is normal, based on information associating item type information indicating the outgoing frequency of the item type and which is greater than the specified high-frequency threshold value and which is normal, based on information associating item type information indicating the outgoing frequency of the item type and which is high, based on information associating item type information indicating the outgoing frequency of the item type ...

The item storage program according to the present disclosure is an item storage program for controlling an item storage facility including a storage shelf having multiple storage sections, a transport device that transports items along a shelf front side that is the front side of the storage shelf, and a control system that controls the transport device, in which a direction perpendicular to the shelf front side is defined as a shelf depth direction, the side of the shelf front side in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf front side, and the side opposite the shelf front side in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf back side, and the storage section is configured to be able to store multiple items lined up in the shelf depth direction, the transport device is equipped with a transfer device that moves the items from the shelf front side in the shelf depth direction relative to the storage shelf to remove the items from the storage section and store the items in the storage section, and item type information indicating the item type, which is the type of the item. Based on information relating the frequency of items and retrieval frequency information indicating the retrieval frequency for each type, the computer of the control system realizes a function of controlling the conveying device to preferentially store the high-frequency items in the first storage position and the normal items in the normal storage position, by determining, as high-frequency items, the items of the item type whose retrieval frequency is equal to or greater than a specified high-frequency threshold value, and the items of the item type whose retrieval frequency is less than the high-frequency threshold value, and determining the positions in the storage section where the multiple items are stored, as storage positions, and determining, among the multiple storage positions in one storage section, one or more storage positions closest to the front side of the shelf as first storage positions, and one or more storage positions closer to the rear side of the shelf than the first storage positions as normal storage positions, and

According to these configurations, since the storage section of the storage shelf is configured to be able to store multiple items lined up in the shelf depth direction, it is possible to increase the storage rate of items per unit volume and reduce the cost of the conveying device relative to the number of items that can be stored, compared to when only one item is stored in one storage section. Furthermore, according to this configuration, taking into account the frequency of release for each type of item, high-frequency items can be preferentially stored in the first storage position, and normal items can be preferentially stored in the normal storage position. In other words, high-frequency items that are relatively frequently released can be preferentially stored in a position where no reordering is required when removing them from the storage section, or in a position where the number of items subject to reordering is small even if reordering is required (i.e., a position where the number of reordering processes required is small). This makes it possible to keep the frequency of reordering low for the entire storage shelf.

High-frequency items, which are relatively frequently removed from the storage section, tend to be removed and put into the storage section more frequently than normal items, which are relatively infrequently removed from the storage section. With this configuration, high-frequency items, which tend to be removed and put into the storage section more frequently, can be preferentially stored in the first storage position, where the transfer distance by the transfer device is short and the transfer time can be shortened. This has the advantage that the time required for storing and retrieving items from the storage shelf as a whole can be shortened.

Further features and advantages of the item storage equipment, item storage method, and item storage program will become apparent from the following description of the embodiments, which are illustrated with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a portion of an item storage facility; Plan view of part of the storage facility A diagram showing one aspect of the warehousing process A diagram showing one aspect of the warehousing process A diagram showing one aspect of the warehousing process A diagram showing one aspect of the warehousing process A diagram showing one aspect of the warehousing process A diagram showing one aspect of the warehousing process A diagram showing an example of a cargo handling process. A diagram showing another example of reordering processing FIG. 13 is a diagram showing yet another example of a cargo handling process. Control Block Diagram Control Flow Diagram Plan view of an item storage facility according to another embodiment.

An embodiment of an item storage facility will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that the various technical features of the item storage facility described below can also be applied to an item storage method in an item storage facility and an item storage program for controlling the item storage facility, and such methods and programs, as well as storage media (e.g., optical disks, flash memory, etc.) on which such programs are stored, are also disclosed by this specification.

1 and 2, the item storage facility 100 includes a storage shelf 1 having multiple storage sections 20, a conveying device 5 that conveys items W along the shelf front surface 1a, which is the front surface of the storage shelf 1, and a control system 30 (see FIG. 12) that controls the conveying device 5. The conveying device 5 conveys the items W along the shelf front surface 1a by moving along the shelf front surface 1a while holding the items W. The shelf front surface 1a is the surface of the storage shelf 1 on which the items W are inserted and removed. In other words, the shelf front surface 1a is the surface of the storage shelf 1 on which the conveying device 5 is located. The shelf front surface 1a is at least a virtually defined surface. In this embodiment, the shelf front surface 1a is a virtual vertical surface that includes the end of the shelf front side Y1 (described later) of the shelf section 10 of each stage of the storage shelf 1.

Although not limited to this configuration, in this embodiment, the item storage equipment 100 includes a pair of storage shelves 1 arranged with their shelf front faces 1a facing each other, and the conveying device 5 moves between the pair of storage shelves 1 along the pair of shelf front faces 1a (the shelf front face 1a of one storage shelf 1 and the shelf front face 1a of the other storage shelf 1). In the following, the pair of storage shelves 1 will be described without distinguishing between them, except when it is necessary to distinguish between them.

Here, the direction perpendicular to the shelf front 1a is the shelf depth direction Y, the side of the shelf front 1a in the shelf depth direction Y is the shelf front side Y1, and the side opposite the shelf front side Y1 in the shelf depth direction Y is the shelf back side Y2. In this embodiment, the shelf front 1a is a vertical plane, so the shelf depth direction Y is a horizontal direction. As described above, in this embodiment, the item storage equipment 100 includes a pair of storage shelves 1 arranged so that the shelf fronts 1a face each other. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the shelf front side Y1 and the shelf back side Y2 are defined separately for each of the pair of storage shelves 1, so that the shelf front side Y1 for one storage shelf 1 and the shelf front side Y1 for the other storage shelf 1 are opposite each other in the shelf depth direction Y.

The storage shelf 1 has a plurality of storage sections 20. As shown in Figs. 1 and 2, in this embodiment, the storage shelf 1 has a plurality of storage sections 20 arranged in a shelf width direction X. The shelf width direction X is a direction perpendicular to the shelf depth direction Y. In this embodiment, the shelf width direction X is a direction perpendicular to both the shelf depth direction Y and the up-down direction Z (vertical direction). One side of the shelf width direction X is the first side X1, and the other side of the shelf width direction X (opposite the first side X1) is the second side X2.

In this embodiment, the storage shelf 1 is provided with storage sections 20 at multiple positions in the vertical direction Z. Specifically, the storage shelf 1 is provided with multiple storage sections 20 lined up in the shelf width direction X at each of multiple positions in the vertical direction Z. That is, the multiple storage sections 20 are arranged in multiple rows in the shelf width direction X and in multiple stages in the vertical direction Z. Note that the multiple storage sections 20 provided in the storage shelf 1 do not necessarily need to be physically partitioned, and the position and width of each storage section 20 can be configured to be variable. For example, the position and width of each storage section 20 in the shelf width direction X can be configured to be variable.

1 and 2, the storage shelf 1 includes a shelf section 10 that supports the item W (specifically, supports it from the lower side Z2 in the vertical direction Z). In this example, the shelf section 10 is formed in a plate shape (including the case where the shelf section 10 is formed in a plate shape as a whole by assembling multiple members). The item W is stored in the storage shelf 1 while being supported by the shelf section 10. The shelf section 10 has a dimension in the shelf width direction X that can support multiple items W lined up in the shelf width direction X, and thus multiple storage sections 20 lined up in the shelf width direction X are formed by the shelf section 10. The size of the storage section 20 in the shelf depth direction Y is determined according to the dimension of the shelf section 10 in the shelf depth direction Y. In the example shown in FIG. 1 and 2, the storage shelf 1 includes the shelf section 10 at multiple positions in the vertical direction Z, and thus multiple storage sections 20 lined up in the shelf width direction X are formed at each of the multiple positions in the vertical direction Z.

1 and 2, the storage section 20 is configured to be able to store multiple items W lined up in the shelf depth direction Y. In other words, this item storage facility 100 handles items W of a size that allows multiple items W to be stored in the storage section 20 lined up in the shelf depth direction Y. The items W handled by the item storage facility 100 may include large items having a size such that one item W occupies the storage section 20, but the following description will not take such large items into consideration and will focus on the case where multiple items W are stored in the storage section 20 lined up in the shelf depth direction Y.

Here, the positions where the multiple items W are stored in the storage section 20 are referred to as storage positions P, and among the multiple storage positions P in one storage section 20, one or more storage positions P closest to the front side Y1 of the shelf are referred to as first storage positions P1, and one or more storage positions P closer to the rear side Y2 of the shelf than the first storage position P1 are referred to as normal storage positions PN. In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, two items W are stored in the storage section 20 side by side in the shelf depth direction Y. In other words, the storage section 20 is configured to be able to store two items W side by side in the shelf depth direction Y. Two storage positions P are set in one storage section 20, and of these two storage positions P, the storage position P on the front side Y1 of the shelf is the first storage position P1, and the storage position P on the rear side Y2 of the shelf is the normal storage position PN. In this way, in this embodiment, one first storage position P1 and one normal storage position PN are set in one storage section 20.

As shown in FIG. 2, the conveying device 5 is equipped with a transfer device 60 that moves the item W from the shelf front side Y1 to the shelf depth direction Y with respect to the storage shelf 1, and removes the item W from the storage section 20 and stores the item W in the storage section 20. That is, the transfer device 60 moves the item W from the shelf front side Y1 to the shelf depth direction Y with respect to the storage shelf 1, and transfers the item W between the conveying device 5 and the storage section 20. Specifically, the transfer device 60 moves the item W stored in the storage section 20 from the shelf front side Y1 to the shelf front side Y1 with respect to the storage shelf 1, and removes the item W from the storage section 20. The item W removed from the storage section 20 is supported by a support portion (such as a support portion of the transfer device 60 or a support portion of the running section 50 described later) provided on the conveying device 5, and is thereby held by the conveying device 5. In addition, the transfer device 60 moves the item W held by the transport device 5 from the shelf front side Y1 to the shelf rear side Y2 of the storage shelf 1, and stores the item W in the storage section 20.

The transfer device 60 is configured to be able to take in and out (remove and store) an item W to any of the storage positions P in the storage section 20 (in this embodiment, both the first storage position P1 and the second storage position P2). As described above, in this embodiment, the item storage facility 100 includes a pair of storage shelves 1, and the transport device 5 is configured to be able to use the transfer device 60 to take in and out an item W to any of the storage sections 20 of the pair of storage shelves 1.

In the example shown in FIG. 2, the transfer device 60 is configured to move the abutment portion 66 that abuts against the item W in the shelf depth direction Y by the advance/retract mechanism 65 (advancement to the shelf back side Y2 and retreat to the shelf front side Y1), thereby moving the item W in the shelf depth direction Y. Specifically, the transfer device 60 moves the abutment portion 66 outward to the shelf back side Y2, and pushes the item W held by the conveying device 5 to the shelf back side Y2 by the abutment portion 66, thereby storing the item W in the storage section 20. In addition, the transfer device 60 retreats the abutment portion 66 to the shelf front side Y1, and pulls the item W stored in the storage section 20 to the shelf front side Y1 by the abutment portion 66, thereby removing the item W from the storage section 20. For simplification, the abutment portion 66 used when pushing the item W to the shelf back side Y2 is omitted in FIG. 2.

The configuration of the transfer device 60 is not limited to this, and the transfer device 60 may be, for example, a fork-type transfer device that moves a support that supports the item W from the lower side Z2 in and out of the shelf depth direction Y, or a clamp-type transfer device that moves a clamp part that clamps the item W in and out of the shelf depth direction Y.

The conveying device 5 is equipped with a running section 50 that runs along the shelf front surface 1a, and the transfer device 60 is supported by the running section 50. In this embodiment, the running section 50 runs along the shelf front surface 1a by running in the shelf width direction X. Therefore, the conveying device 5 conveys the item W in the shelf width direction X along the shelf front surface 1a. In this embodiment, the running paths of the conveying device 5 (specifically, the running section 50) are formed in the same number as the number of stages of the storage shelf 1 (in other words, the number of storage sections 20 arranged in the vertical direction Z) corresponding to each stage of the storage shelf 1. In FIG. 1, only the conveying device 5 arranged on the running path of the top stage is shown. In the example shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the running path of the conveying device 5 is formed by a pair of rails 51 arranged at the same position in the vertical direction Z and spaced apart in the shelf depth direction Y. Although details are omitted, the running unit 50 is equipped with running wheels that roll on the running surface of the rail 51 (the surface facing the upper side Z1 in the vertical direction Z), and the running wheels are rotated by a drive device such as an electric motor, causing the running unit 50 to run along the rail 51.

As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the item storage facility 100 includes an entry/exit section 3 into which items W to be stored on the storage shelf 1 are brought in and from which items W removed from the storage shelf 1 are removed. That is, items W to be stored on the storage shelf 1 are brought in from an entry line or the like to the entry/exit section 3. Also, items W removed from the storage shelf 1 are removed from the entry/exit section 3 to an exit line or the like. Note that the items W may be brought in and out of the entry/exit section 3 by a transport vehicle, a worker, or the like.

The conveying device 5 conveys the item W between the loading/unloading section 3 and the storage section 20. Specifically, the conveying device 5 conveys the item W stored in the storage shelf 1 from the loading/unloading section 3 to the storage section 20 where the item W is to be stored. The conveying device 5 also conveys the item W taken out from the storage shelf 1 from the storage section 20 from which the item W was taken out to the loading/unloading section 3. The transfer of the item W between the conveying device 5 and the loading/unloading section 3 may be performed by the transfer device 60 provided in the conveying device 5, by a device provided in the loading/unloading section 3, or by both the transfer device 60 provided in the conveying device 5 and a device provided in the loading/unloading section 3. When the transfer device 60 provided in the conveying device 5 is used to transfer the item W between the conveying device 5 and the loading/unloading section 3, the transfer device 60 moves the item W arranged in the loading/unloading section 3 to the front side Y1 of the shelf, and transfers the item W from the loading/unloading section 3 to the conveying device 5. In addition, the transfer device 60 moves the item W held by the conveying device 5 to the shelf rear side Y2, and transfers the item W from the conveying device 5 to the loading/unloading section 3.

1 and 2, the goods W are carried into and removed from the loading/unloading section 3 by a relay device 4. The relay device 4 includes a first conveyor 41, a second conveyor 42, a third conveyor 43, a fourth conveyor 44, a first lift device 45, and a second lift device 46, and transports the goods W between the loading/unloading section 2 and the loading/unloading section 3. The first conveyor 41 is an unloading conveyor for carrying the goods W from the loading/unloading section 2 to an unloading line or the like, and the second conveyor 42 is an inlet conveyor for carrying the goods W from an inlet line or the like to the loading/unloading section 2. The first conveyor 41, the second conveyor 42, the third conveyor 43, and the fourth conveyor 44 can be, for example, roller conveyors or belt conveyors.

The third conveyor 43 and the fourth conveyor 44 are provided at multiple positions in the vertical direction Z in the loading/unloading section 3 (specifically, at heights corresponding to each tier of the storage shelf 1), and the transport device 5 transports the item W between the storage section 20 and the third conveyor 43 that are arranged on the same tier, and between the storage section 20 and the fourth conveyor 44 that are arranged on the same tier. The first lift device 45 has a support part that can be raised and lowered to support the item W, and transports the item W between the first conveyor 41 and any third conveyor 43. The second lift device 46 has a support part that can be raised and lowered to support the item W, and transports the item W between the second conveyor 42 and any fourth conveyor 44.

The item W taken out from the storage shelf 1 is transported by the transport device 5 to the third conveyor 43 arranged in the storage/retrieval section 3, and then transported from the third conveyor 43 to the first conveyor 41 by the first lift device 45. That is, the third conveyor 43 is used as an retrieval section (specifically, an retrieval conveyor) in the storage/retrieval section 3. Also, the item W stored in the storage shelf 1 is transported from the second conveyor 42 to the fourth conveyor 44 by the second lift device 46, and then transported from the fourth conveyor 44 to the storage section 20 by the transport device 5. That is, the fourth conveyor 44 is used as an entry section (specifically, an entry conveyor) in the storage/retrieval section 3. Note that the third conveyor 43 and the fourth conveyor 44 can be configured to be used as either an entry section or an retrieval section depending on the state of the item storage facility 100 at any given time.

As shown in FIG. 12, the control system 30 includes a control device 31 that controls the operation of the transport device 5. The control device 31 controls the operation of the travel unit 50 to perform a travel operation, and controls the operation of the transfer device 60 to perform a transfer operation. Specifically, the transport device 5 is provided with a control unit (equipment controller), and this control unit controls the drive of the driving power source (e.g., electric motor or solenoid) provided in each part in response to a command from the control device 31, thereby controlling each operation of the transport device 5 (e.g., the travel operation of the travel unit 50, the transfer operation of the transfer device 60). Note that the control device 31 may be configured not as a single piece of hardware, but as a set of multiple pieces of hardware (multiple separate pieces of hardware) that can communicate with each other by wire or wirelessly. Also, at least a part of the control device 31 may be provided in the transport device 5.

The control device 31 includes an arithmetic processing device such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit) and a main storage device such as a RAM (Random Access Memory) or a ROM (Read Only Memory) that can be referenced by the arithmetic processing device. Each function of the control device 31 (for example, the function of controlling the conveying device 5) is realized by cooperation between the hardware included in the control device 31 and a program executed on the hardware such as the arithmetic processing device. Specifically, the control device 31 executes a program stored in a storage device (such as a main storage device or a separately provided storage unit 32) to realize each function of the control device 31. In other words, a program (for example, an item storage program) for causing a computer (the computer of the control system 30) to realize each function of the control device 31 is stored in a storage device that can be referenced by the computer. This program is provided, for example, by a storage medium or via a communication network. The provided program is then stored in a storage device that can be referenced by the computer. In this embodiment, the control device 31 (specifically, the arithmetic processing device included in the control device 31) functions as a "computer".

As shown in FIG. 12, the control system 30 includes a storage unit 32. The control device 31 is configured to be able to extract data from the storage unit 32. The storage unit 32 includes a storage medium capable of storing and rewriting information, such as a flash memory or a hard disk. The storage unit 32 may be provided in a device (e.g., a server) capable of communicating with the control device 31 via wired or wireless communication. The storage unit 32 may also be provided integrally with the control device 31. That is, the control device 31 may include the storage unit 32.

There are multiple types of items W handled by this item storage facility 100, each with a different retrieval frequency (retrieval frequency from storage shelf 1). Here, the type of item W refers to the type of item W when it is classified according to a criterion related to the retrieval frequency. For example, if item W is a container for storing goods, the retrieval frequency of item W changes depending on the type of goods, so the type of goods becomes the type of item W. As shown in FIG. 12, item type information 70 indicating the item type, which is the type of item W, and retrieval frequency information 71 indicating the retrieval frequency for each type (for each item type) are stored in association with each other in the memory unit 32.

When item W is a container for storing goods, the item type shown in item type information 70 is, for example, an item name code corresponding to the goods. The shipping frequency shown in shipping frequency information 71 is, for example, a value corresponding to the number of shipments (or the number of shipment containers) per unit time for each item type, or a value corresponding to the reciprocal of the average time that each item type is stored on storage shelf 1 (average stay time). The shipping frequency for each item type can be set, for example, based on actual values, or based on predicted values, or based on both actual values and predicted values.

For example, the item storage facility 100 can be applied to a picking facility in which the item W removed from the storage shelf 1 is supplied to a picking location where picking work is performed. After the picking work is performed, the item W is, for example, re-stored in the storage shelf 1. When the item storage facility 100 is applied to a picking facility in this way, the item W is treated as a container (e.g., a container or a cardboard box) that stores goods (products, etc.), and at the picking location, picking work is performed to remove the goods from the item W. In this case, the item W that stores best-selling goods tends to be shipped more frequently than other items W. Also, even if the goods are the same type, if the goods are seasonal products, the shipping frequency of the goods W that store the goods tends to be higher in busy periods than in slow periods. When considering such changes in the shipping frequency of the goods W depending on the time of the season, etc., it is preferable to treat the goods W that store the same type of goods as different types of goods W for each time period.

Here, an item W of an item type whose delivery frequency is equal to or greater than a specified high-frequency threshold is defined as a high-frequency item WH, and an item W of an item type whose delivery frequency is less than the high-frequency threshold is defined as a normal item WN. Item W can be classified as a high-frequency item WH or a normal item WN based on information stored in the memory unit 32, specifically, based on information that associates item type information 70 with delivery frequency information 71. Such classification based on the delivery frequency of item W may be performed using a method such as ABC analysis.

As shown in Figures 3 to 11, a storage section 20 in which a normal item WN is stored in the normal storage position PN and no item W is stored in the first storage position P1 is defined as a first state storage section 21. A storage section 20 in which a high-frequency item WH is stored in the normal storage position PN and no item W is stored in the first storage position P1 is defined as a second state storage section 22. A storage section 20 in which no item W is stored in the first storage position P1 or the normal storage position PN is defined as a third state storage section 23. A storage section 20 in which an item W is stored in the first storage position P1 or the normal storage position PN is defined as a fourth state storage section 24.

In Figures 3 to 11, to make it easier to distinguish between high-frequency items WH and normal items WN, the borders of the rectangles representing high-frequency items WH are made thicker than the borders of the rectangles representing normal items WN. Also, Figures 3 to 8 chronologically show the scenes in which 19 items W are stored in a storage shelf 1 (here, a pair of storage shelves 1), with larger numbers in the figures showing later stages. The numbers inside the rectangles representing items W (high-frequency items WH and normal items WN) show the order in which each item W is stored in the storage shelf 1.

The control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the high-frequency items WH preferentially in the first storage position P1 and the normal items WN preferentially in the normal storage position PN. In this embodiment, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the high-frequency items WH preferentially in the first storage position P1 and the normal items WN preferentially in the normal storage position PN by storing the items W in the storage shelf 1 according to the procedure shown in FIG. 13. Below, the procedure of the item storage method executed by the control system 30 of this embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 13. Note that each process shown in FIG. 13 is executed by a computer (arithmetic processing device) provided in the control system 30 (in this embodiment, the control device 31).

If the target item (item W stored in storage shelf 1, the same applies below) is a high-frequency item WH (step #01: Yes), and if the first state storage section 21 is present (step #02: Yes), the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the first state storage section 21 (step #03). Also, if the target item is a high-frequency item WH (step #01: Yes), and if the first state storage section 21 is not present but the second state storage section 22 is present (step #02: No, step #04: Yes), the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the second state storage section 22 (step #05). Furthermore, if the target item is a high-frequency item WH (step #01: Yes), and if the first state storage section 21 and the second state storage section 22 are not present (step #02: No, step #04: No), the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the normal storage position PN of the third state storage section 23 (step #06).

If the target item is a normal item WN (step #01: No), and if the third state storage section 23 is present (step #07: Yes), the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the normal storage position PN of the third state storage section 23 (step #08). Also, if the target item is a normal item WN (step #01: No), and if the third state storage section 23 is not present but the first state storage section 21 is present (step #07: No, step #09: Yes), the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the first state storage section 21 (step #10). Furthermore, if the target item is a normal item WN (step #01: No), and if the third state storage section 23 and the first state storage section 21 are not present (step #07: No, step #09: No), the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the second state storage section 22 (step #11).

Here, an example has been described in which the control system 30 controls the transport device 5 so that, when the target item is a high-frequency item WH, if the first state storage unit 21 is not present but the second state storage unit 22 is present, the target item is stored in the first storage position P1 of the second state storage unit 22, and if the first state storage unit 21 and the second state storage unit 22 are not present, the target item is stored in the normal storage position PN of the third state storage unit 23. However, this is not limited to this, and the following configuration is also possible. That is, the control system 30 can be configured to control the transport device 5 so that, when the target item is a high-frequency item WH, if the first state storage unit 21 is not present but the third state storage unit 23 is present, the target item is stored in the normal storage position PN of the third state storage unit 23, and if the first state storage unit 21 and the third state storage unit 23 are not present, the target item is stored in the first storage position P1 of the second state storage unit 22.

Next, an example of a scene in which an item W is stored in the storage shelf 1 according to the procedure shown in FIG. 13 will be described with reference to FIG. 3 to FIG. 8. As shown in FIG. 3, the first item W to be stored is a normal item WN, and since there is a third state storage section 23, this normal item WN is stored in the normal storage position PN of the third state storage section 23. This third state storage section 23 with the normal item WN stored in the normal storage position PN becomes the first state storage section 21 (see FIG. 4). As shown in FIG. 4, the second item W to be stored is a high-frequency item WH, and since there is a first state storage section 21, this high-frequency item WH is stored in the first storage position P1 of the first state storage section 21. This first state storage section 21 with the high-frequency item WH stored in the first storage position P1 becomes the fourth state storage section 24 (see FIG. 5). After that, the first tenth items W are stored in the storage section 20 according to the procedure shown in FIG. 13.

As shown in FIG. 6, the 11th item W to be stored is a high-frequency item WH, and since there is no first state storage section 21 or second state storage section 22, this high-frequency item WH is stored in the normal storage position PN of the third state storage section 23. As shown in FIG. 7, the 12th item W to be stored is a high-frequency item WH, and since there is no first state storage section 21 but there is a second state storage section 22, this high-frequency item WH is stored in the first storage position P1 of the second state storage section 22. Thereafter, the first 17th items W are stored in the storage section 20 according to the procedure shown in FIG. 13.

As shown in FIG. 8, the 18th item W to be stored is a normal item WN, and since there is no third state storage section 23 but there is a first state storage section 21, this normal item WN is stored in the first storage position P1 of the first state storage section 21. Also, the 19th item W to be stored is a high-frequency item WH, and since there is a first state storage section 21, this high-frequency item WH is stored in the first storage position P1 of the first state storage section 21.

When storing high-frequency items WH in the storage shelf 1, there may be a plurality of storage sections 20 capable of storing high-frequency items WH. In this embodiment, the storage section 20 capable of storing high-frequency items WH is the first state storage section 21 when the first state storage section 21 is present, the second state storage section 22 when the first state storage section 21 is not present and the second state storage section 22 is present, and the third state storage section 23 when the first state storage section 21 and the second state storage section 22 are not present. Also, when storing normal items WN in the storage shelf 1, there may be a plurality of storage sections 20 capable of storing normal items WN. In this embodiment, the storage section 20 capable of storing normal items WN is the third state storage section 23 when the third state storage section 23 is present, the first state storage section 21 when the third state storage section 23 is not present and the first state storage section 21 is present, and the second state storage section 22 when the third state storage section 23 and the first state storage section 21 are not present.

For example, when the control system 30 stores a high-frequency item WH in the storage shelf 1 and there are multiple storage sections 20 capable of storing the high-frequency item WH, the control system 30 can be configured to control the conveying device 5 to preferentially store the high-frequency item WH in the storage section 20 closest to the loading/unloading section 3. In this embodiment, the loading/unloading section 3 is disposed on the first side X1 with respect to the storage shelf 1, and therefore the storage section 20 closest to the loading/unloading section 3 is the storage section 20 closest to the first side X1. In the example shown in FIG. 5, there are three first state storage sections 21 capable of storing the sixth high-frequency item WH, and this high-frequency item WH is stored in the first state storage section 21 closest to the loading/unloading section 3 (here, the first state storage section 21 closest to the first side X1). In the example shown in FIG. 6, there are five third state storage sections 23 capable of storing the 11th high-frequency item WH, and this high-frequency item WH is stored in the third state storage section 23 that is closest to the loading/unloading section 3 (here, the third state storage section 23 closest to the first side X1).

For example, when the control system 30 stores the normal item WN in the storage shelf 1 and there are multiple storage sections 20 capable of storing the normal item WN, the control system 30 may control the conveying device 5 to preferentially store the normal item WN in the storage section 20 farthest from the loading/unloading section 3. Alternatively, when the control system 30 stores the normal item WN in the storage shelf 1 and there are multiple storage sections 20 capable of storing the normal item WN, the control system 30 may control the conveying device 5 to preferentially store the normal item WN in the storage section 20 closest to the loading/unloading section 3. In the example shown in FIG. 3, there are 10 third state storage sections 23 capable of storing the first normal item WN, and the normal item WN is stored in the third state storage section 23 closest to the loading/unloading section 3 (here, the third state storage section 23 closest to the first side X1).

Next, the reordering process will be explained. If the item W to be removed from the storage shelf 1 is designated as outgoing item W1, and the item W stored on the shelf front side Y1 of the storage section 20 in which outgoing item W1 is stored is designated as moving item W2 (see Figures 9 to 11), a reordering process is performed in which the moving item W2 is moved to another storage section 20 before outgoing item W1 is removed from the storage shelf 1. Note that at least one storage section 20 that does not store item W is secured in the first storage position P1 so that such a reordering process can be performed.

Figure 9 assumes a situation in which, after storing up to the 19th item W on the storage shelf 1 as shown in Figure 8, the 13th stored high-frequency item WH is removed from the storage shelf 1, and the 16th stored normal item WN is removed from the storage shelf 1. Also, Figure 10 assumes a situation in which, after storing up to the 19th item W on the storage shelf 1 as shown in Figure 8, the 13th stored high-frequency item WH is removed from the storage shelf 1, and the 8th stored normal item WN is removed from the storage shelf 1. Also, Figure 11 assumes a situation in which, after storing up to the 19th item W on the storage shelf 1 as shown in Figure 8, the 4th stored normal item WN is removed from the storage shelf 1.

In this embodiment, when performing a relocation process to move the moving item W2 to another storage section 20, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to preferentially store the moving item W2 at the first storage position P1 if the moving item W2 is a high-frequency item WH, and to preferentially store the moving item W2 at the normal storage position PN if the moving item W2 is a normal item WN.

Specifically, when the moving object W2 is a high-frequency object WH, and when the first state storage section 21 is present, the control system 30 controls the transport device 5 to store the moving object W2 in the first storage position P1 of the first state storage section 21 (see FIG. 10). Also, when the moving object W2 is a high-frequency object WH, and when the first state storage section 21 is not present but the second state storage section 22 is present, the control system 30 controls the transport device 5 to store the moving object W2 in the first storage position P1 of the second state storage section 22 (see FIG. 11), and when the first state storage section 21 and the second state storage section 22 are not present, the transport device 5 controls the moving object W2 in the normal storage position PN of the third state storage section 23.

When the moving object W2 is a normal object WN, and if the third state storage section 23 is present, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the normal object WN in the normal storage position PN of the third state storage section 23 (see FIG. 9). In addition, when the moving object W2 is a normal object WN, and if the third state storage section 23 is not present but the first state storage section 21 is present, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the normal object WN in the first storage position P1 of the first state storage section 21, and if the third state storage section 23 and the first state storage section 21 are not present, the conveying device 5 to store the normal object WN in the first storage position P1 of the second state storage section 22.

When performing reordering, there may be a plurality of storage sections 20 capable of storing the moving object W2. In this embodiment, when the moving object W2 is a high-frequency object WH, the storage section 20 capable of storing the moving object W2 is the first state storage section 21 if the first state storage section 21 is present, the second state storage section 22 if the first state storage section 21 is not present and the second state storage section 22 is present, and the third state storage section 23 if the first state storage section 21 and the second state storage section 22 are not present. Also, when the moving object W2 is a normal object WN, the storage section 20 capable of storing the moving object W2 is the third state storage section 23 if the third state storage section 23 is present, the first state storage section 21 if the third state storage section 23 is not present and the first state storage section 21 is present, and the second state storage section 22 if the third state storage section 23 and the first state storage section 21 are not present.

For example, when the control system 30 is performing a reordering process and there are multiple storage sections 20 capable of storing the movable item W2, the control system 30 can be configured to control the conveying device 5 to preferentially store the movable item W2 in the storage section 20 that has the shortest conveying distance from the storage section 20 in which the movable item W2 is stored by the conveying device 5. In this embodiment, the conveying device 5 conveys the item W in the shelf width direction X, so the above-mentioned conveying distance is the conveying distance in the shelf width direction X.

Other embodiments
Next, other embodiments of the article storage facility will be described.

(1) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the item W is classified into two types, high-frequency item WH and normal item WN, according to the frequency of shipment. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the normal item WN can be further classified into multiple types according to the frequency of shipment. For example, the normal item WN can be configured to include a medium-frequency item WM whose shipment frequency is less than the high-frequency threshold value and equal to or greater than a specified low-frequency threshold value, and a low-frequency item WL whose shipment frequency is less than the low-frequency threshold value, and the item W can be classified into a high-frequency item WH, a medium-frequency item WM, and a low-frequency item WL according to the frequency of shipment. In the example shown in FIG. 14, which will be referred to later, the item W is classified into a high-frequency item WH, a medium-frequency item WM, and a low-frequency item WL in this way. In FIG. 14, in order to easily distinguish between the high-frequency item WH, the medium-frequency item WM, and the low-frequency item WL, these three items are represented by different figures. Specifically, low-frequency items WL are represented by a rectangle with no internal pattern, while high-frequency items WH and medium-frequency items WM are represented by two rectangles with different internal patterns.

In a configuration in which one storage section 20 has one first storage position P1 and one normal storage position PN as in the above embodiment, when the items W are classified into high-frequency items WH, medium-frequency items WM, and low-frequency items WL, for example, by storing each item in the storage shelf 1 as described below, the high-frequency items WH can be preferentially stored in the first storage position P1, and the normal items WN can be preferentially stored in the normal storage position PN. Hereinafter, the first state storage section 21 in which the low-frequency items WL are stored in the normal storage position PN is referred to as the "first type first state storage section," and the first state storage section 21 in which the medium-frequency items WM are stored in the normal storage position PN is referred to as the "second type first state storage section."

Specifically, when the target item is a high-frequency item WH, if there is a first-type, first-state storage section, the control system 30 controls the transport device 5 to store the target item at the first storage position P1 of the first-type, first-state storage section. Also, when the target item is a high-frequency item WH, if there is no first-type, first-state storage section but there is a second-type, first-state storage section, the control system 30 controls the transport device 5 to store the target item at the first storage position P1 of the second-type, first-state storage section. Also, when the target item is a high-frequency item WH, if there is no first-state storage section 21 but there is a second-state storage section 22, the control system 30 controls the transport device 5 to store the target item at the first storage position P1 of the second-state storage section 22, and if there are no first-state storage section 21 or second-state storage section 22, the control system 30 controls the transport device 5 to store the target item at the normal storage position PN of the third-state storage section 23.

In addition, when the target item is a medium-frequency item WM, if there is a first-type, first-state storage section, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the first-type, first-state storage section. In addition, when the target item is a medium-frequency item WM, if there is no first-type, first-state storage section but there is a second-type, first-state storage section, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the second-type, first-state storage section. In addition, when the target item is a medium-frequency item WM, if there is no first-state storage section 21 but there is a third-state storage section 23, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the normal storage position PN of the third-state storage section 23, and if there are no first-state storage section 21 or third-state storage section 23, the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the second-state storage section 22. In addition, when the target item is a medium-frequency item WM, the control system 30 can be configured to control the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the second state storage section 22 if the first state storage section 21 is not present but the second state storage section 22 is present, and to store the target item in the normal storage position PN of the third state storage section 23 if the first state storage section 21 and the second state storage section 22 are not present.

In addition, when the target item is a low-frequency item WL, if the third state storage section 23 is present, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the normal storage position PN of the third state storage section 23. In addition, when the target item is a normal item WN, if the third state storage section 23 is not present and a first-type first state storage section is present, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the first-type first state storage section, and if the third state storage section 23 and the first-type first state storage section are not present and a second-type first state storage section is present, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the second-type first state storage section. In addition, when the target item is a normal item WN, if the third state storage section 23 and the first state storage section 21 are not present, the control system 30 controls the conveying device 5 to store the target item in the first storage position P1 of the second state storage section 22.

(2) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the storage section 20 is configured to be able to store two items W side by side in the shelf depth direction Y, and two storage positions P are set in one storage section 20. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and it is also possible to configure the storage section 20 to be configured to be able to store three or more items W side by side in the shelf depth direction Y, and three or more storage positions P are set in one storage section 20, as in the example shown in FIG. 14.

In the example shown in FIG. 14, the transfer device 60 is provided with a cart 67 that travels in the shelf depth direction Y. The travel path of the cart 67 is formed by a pair of transfer rails 68 that are arranged at the same position in the vertical direction Z and spaced apart in the shelf width direction X. The cart 67 can move in the shelf width direction X while mounted on the running section 50, and can move in the shelf depth direction Y while separated from the running section 50. The cart 67 moves in the shelf depth direction Y while supporting the item W, thereby removing the item W from the storage section 20 and storing the item W in the storage section 20. Specifically, the cart 67 moves from the storage section 20 to the shelf front side Y1 while supporting the item W, thereby removing the item W from the storage section 20. The cart 67 moves from the running section 50 to the shelf back side Y2 while supporting the item W, thereby storing the item W in the storage section 20. The cart 67 is configured to be able to raise and lower the support surface that supports the item W from the lower side Z2, and by lowering the support surface, it can move in the shelf depth direction Y without interfering with the item W stored in the storage section 20.

In the example shown in FIG. 14, two first storage positions P1 and six normal storage positions PN are set in one storage section 20. Here, in one storage section 20, one or more normal storage positions PN adjacent to the shelf back side Y2 of the first storage position P1 are set as second storage positions P2, and one or more normal storage positions PN adjacent to the shelf back side Y2 of the second storage position P2 are set as third storage positions P3. In the example shown in FIG. 14, in one storage section 20, three normal storage positions PN adjacent to the shelf back side Y2 of the two first storage positions P1 are set as second storage positions P2, and three normal storage positions PN adjacent to the shelf back side Y2 of the three second storage positions P2 are set as third storage positions P3.

In the example shown in FIG. 14, items W are classified into high-frequency items WH, medium-frequency items WM, and low-frequency items WL according to their frequency of release. That is, normal items WN include medium-frequency items WM whose release frequency is less than the high-frequency threshold and equal to or greater than a specified low-frequency threshold, and low-frequency items WL whose release frequency is less than the low-frequency threshold. In this case, it is preferable that the control system 30 is configured to control the conveying device 5 so that high-frequency items WH are preferentially stored in the first storage position P1, medium-frequency items WM are preferentially stored in the second storage position P2, and low-frequency items WL are preferentially stored in the third storage position P3.

(3) In the above embodiment, an example has been described in which the storage shelf 1 has multiple storage sections 20 arranged in multiple rows in the horizontal direction (specifically, the shelf width direction X) and multiple tiers in the vertical direction Z. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and the multiple storage sections 20 may be arranged only in the horizontal direction or may be arranged only in the vertical direction Z.

(4) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the conveying device 5 includes a running section 50 that runs horizontally (specifically, in the shelf width direction X) has been described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the conveying device 5 may also be configured to include a conveyor that transports the item W horizontally.

(5) In the above embodiment, the conveying device 5 conveys the item W in the shelf width direction X along the shelf front surface 1a as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, the conveying device 5 can be configured to convey the item W in the vertical direction Z along the shelf front surface 1a. In this case, the conveying device 5 is provided with, for example, a lift device that raises and lowers the item W in the vertical direction Z. The conveying device 5 can also be configured to convey the item W in the shelf width direction X and the vertical direction Z along the shelf front surface 1a. As a specific example, the conveying device 5 can be a stacker crane. In this case, in addition to the running section 50 that runs in the shelf width direction X, the conveying device 5 is provided with a lifting body that rises and falls guided by a mast erected on the running section 50, and the transfer device 60 is supported by the lifting body. The conveying device 5 conveys the item W in the shelf width direction X and the vertical direction Z along the shelf front surface 1a by the running operation of the running section 50 and the lifting and lowering operation of the lifting body.

(6) In the above embodiment, a configuration in which the shelf front 1a is a vertical plane (in other words, a configuration in which the shelf depth direction Y is horizontal) has been described as an example. However, the present disclosure is not limited to such a configuration, and for example, a configuration in which the shelf front 1a is a horizontal plane (in other words, a configuration in which the shelf depth direction Y is the up-down direction Z) is also possible. In this case, the storage section 20 is configured to be able to store multiple items W lined up in the up-down direction Z, which is the shelf depth direction Y. Also, in this case, for example, the multiple storage sections 20 provided in the storage shelf 1 are arranged in multiple rows in each of two directions that are mutually perpendicular on a horizontal plane, and the running section 50 of the conveying device 5 is configured to be able to run in the two directions.

(7) Note that the configurations disclosed in each of the above-described embodiments can be applied in combination with configurations disclosed in other embodiments (including combinations of the embodiments described as other embodiments) as long as no contradictions arise. With regard to other configurations, the embodiments disclosed in this specification are merely examples in all respects. Therefore, various modifications can be made as appropriate within the scope of the spirit of this disclosure.

[Summary of the above embodiment]
The above-described article storage facility will now be outlined.

An item storage facility including a storage shelf with multiple storage sections, a transport device that transports items along the shelf front surface that is the front surface of the storage shelf, and a control system that controls the transport device, in which a direction perpendicular to the shelf front surface is defined as a shelf depth direction, the side of the shelf front surface in the shelf depth direction is defined as the shelf front side, and the side opposite to the shelf front surface side in the shelf depth direction is defined as the shelf back side, and the storage section is configured to be able to store multiple items lined up in the shelf depth direction, the transport device is equipped with a transfer device that moves the items from the shelf front side in the shelf depth direction relative to the storage shelf, removing the items from the storage section and storing the items in the storage section, and the control system is configured to receive item type information indicating the item type that is the type of the item, and a control system that controls the transport device for each item type. The system has a memory unit in which the high-frequency items and the normal items are stored in association with each other, the items of the item type whose frequency of leaving the storehouse is equal to or greater than a specified high-frequency threshold are defined as high-frequency items, the items of the item type whose frequency of leaving the storehouse is less than the high-frequency threshold are defined as normal items, the positions at which the multiple items are stored in the storage unit are defined as storage positions, one or more of the multiple storage positions in one storage unit that are closest to the front side of the shelf are defined as first storage positions, and one or more of the storage positions that are closer to the rear side of the shelf than the first storage positions are defined as normal storage positions, and the control system controls the conveying device to preferentially store the high-frequency items in the first storage positions and the normal items in the normal storage positions.

According to this configuration, since the storage section of the storage shelf is configured to be able to store multiple items lined up in the shelf depth direction, it is possible to increase the storage rate of items per unit volume and reduce the cost of the conveying device relative to the number of items that can be stored, compared to when only one item is stored in one storage section. Furthermore, according to this configuration, taking into account the frequency of removal for each type of item, high-frequency items can be preferentially stored in the first storage position, and normal items can be preferentially stored in the normal storage position. In other words, high-frequency items that are relatively frequently removed can be preferentially stored in a position where no reordering is required when removing them from the storage section, or in a position where the number of items subject to reordering is small even if reordering is required (i.e., a position where the number of reordering processes required is small). This makes it possible to keep the frequency of reordering low for the entire storage shelf.

High-frequency items, which are relatively frequently removed from the storage section, tend to be removed and put into the storage section more frequently than normal items, which are relatively infrequently removed from the storage section. With this configuration, high-frequency items, which tend to be removed and put into the storage section more frequently, can be preferentially stored in the first storage position, where the transfer distance by the transfer device is short and the transfer time can be shortened. This has the advantage that the time required for storing and retrieving items from the storage shelf as a whole can be shortened.

Here, the storage section in which the normal item is stored in the normal storage position and the item is not stored in the first storage position is defined as a first state storage section, and when the target item, which is the item stored in the storage shelf, is the high frequency item, the control system preferably controls the conveying device to store the target item in the first storage position of the first state storage section if the first state storage section is present.

According to this configuration, high-frequency items can be preferentially stored in the first storage position. When a high-frequency item is stored in the first storage position of the first state storage section and a normal item stored in the normal storage position of the first state storage section is to be removed, a reordering process for the high-frequency item is required. However, because the frequency of removal of normal items is relatively low, it is easy to keep the occurrence of reordering processes for the high-frequency item stored in the first storage position of the first state storage section low. Therefore, when a first state storage section is present, storing high-frequency items in the first storage position of the first state storage section can reduce the frequency of reordering processes for the storage shelf as a whole.

In the above configuration, it is preferable that the storage section in which the high-frequency item is stored in the normal storage position and the item is not stored in the first storage position is a second state storage section, and the storage section in which the item is not stored in the first storage position or the normal storage position is a third state storage section, and that the control system controls the transport device so that, when the target item is the high-frequency item, if there is no first state storage section but there is a second state storage section, the target item is stored in the first storage position of the second state storage section, and if there are no first state storage section or second state storage section, the target item is stored in the normal storage position of the third state storage section.

According to this configuration, even if there is no first state storage section, if there is a second state storage section, high-frequency items are stored in the first storage position of the second state storage section, thereby reducing the frequency of reordering for the entire storage shelf. To further explain, if a high-frequency item is stored in the normal storage position of the third state storage section and then a normal item is stored in the first storage position of the third state storage section, a normal item with a relatively low frequency of removal will be placed on the front side of the shelf relative to a high-frequency item with a relatively high frequency of removal, making it easier for a situation to arise where reordering is required. In contrast, according to this configuration, if there is no first state storage section and there is a second state storage section, a high-frequency item is stored in the first storage position of the second state storage section rather than the normal storage position of the third state storage section, so that it is possible to avoid as much as possible a situation where a normal item with a relatively low frequency of removal is placed on the front side of the shelf relative to a high-frequency item with a relatively high frequency of removal, thereby reducing the frequency of reordering for the entire storage shelf.

In addition, it is preferable that the storage section in which the item is not stored in the first storage position or the normal storage position is defined as a third state storage section, and when the target item, which is the item to be stored on the storage shelf, is the normal item, the control system controls the conveying device so that, if the third state storage section is present, the target item is stored in the normal storage position of the third state storage section.

With this configuration, regular items can be preferentially stored in the regular storage position. This makes it easier to have a storage section in the first storage position where no items are stored, and makes it easier to preferentially store high-frequency items in the first storage position.

In the above configuration, it is preferable that the storage section in which the normal item is stored in the normal storage position and the item is not stored in the first storage position is a first state storage section, and the storage section in which the high-frequency item is stored in the normal storage position and the item is not stored in the first storage position is a second state storage section, and that the control system controls the transport device so that, when the target item is the normal item, if there is no third state storage section but there is a first state storage section, the target item is stored in the first storage position of the first state storage section, and if there are no third state storage section or first state storage section, the target item is stored in the first storage position of the second state storage section.

According to this configuration, even if there is no third state storage section, if there is a first state storage section, normal items are stored in the first storage position of the first state storage section, thereby reducing the frequency of reordering for the entire storage shelf. To further explain, if normal items are stored in the first storage position of the second state storage section, normal items with a relatively low frequency of removal will be placed on the front side of the shelf relative to high-frequency items with a relatively high frequency of removal, making it easier for situations to arise where reordering is required. In contrast, according to this configuration, if there is no third state storage section and there is a first state storage section, normal items are stored in the first storage position of the first state storage section rather than the first storage position of the second state storage section, so that it is possible to avoid as much as possible the placement of normal items with a relatively low frequency of removal on the front side of the shelf relative to high-frequency items with a relatively high frequency of removal, thereby reducing the frequency of reordering for the entire storage shelf.

The storage shelf further includes an entry/exit section into which the items to be stored are brought in and into which the items removed from the storage shelf are brought out, and the control system preferably controls the conveying device so that, when the high-frequency items are stored in the storage shelf and there are multiple storage sections capable of storing the high-frequency items, the high-frequency items are preferentially stored in the storage section that is closest to the entry/exit section, and when the normal items are stored in the storage shelf and there are multiple storage sections capable of storing the normal items, the conveying device preferably controls the conveying device so that the normal items are preferentially stored in the storage section that is farthest from the entry/exit section.

According to this configuration, high-frequency items with a relatively high frequency of removal are preferentially stored in storage units close to the loading/unloading unit, so that the transport distance of the high-frequency items by the transport device when removing them from the warehouse can be kept short. In addition, when removed items are re-stored to the storage shelf, high-frequency items with a relatively high frequency of removal are also stored relatively frequently. However, according to this configuration, high-frequency items with a relatively high frequency of entry are preferentially stored in storage units close to the loading/unloading unit, so that the transport distance of the high-frequency items by the transport device when storing them can also be kept short. This can improve the efficiency of storing and unloading items. Furthermore, according to this configuration, normal items with a relatively low frequency of removal are preferentially stored in storage units far from the loading/unloading unit, so that it is easier to store high-frequency items near the loading/unloading unit.

In addition, the item to be removed from the storage shelf is defined as an outgoing item, and the item stored on the front side of the shelf in the storage section in which the outgoing item is stored is defined as a moving item. When performing a relocation process to move the moving item to another storage section, the control system preferably controls the conveying device to preferentially store the moving item in the first storage position if the moving item is the high-frequency item, and to preferentially store the moving item in the normal storage position if the moving item is the normal item.

With this configuration, even when a reordering process is performed, high-frequency items can be preferentially stored in the first storage position, and regular items can be preferentially stored in the regular storage position.

In the above configuration, when performing the reordering process and there are multiple storage units capable of storing the movable items, the control system preferably controls the conveying device to preferentially store the movable items in the storage unit that is the shortest distance conveyed by the conveying device from the storage unit in which the movable items are stored.

This configuration makes it possible to shorten the distance that the transport device transports moving items during reordering, so that even when reordering is required, the time required to unload items can be shortened, improving the efficiency of unloading items.

The normal items include medium-frequency items whose removal frequency is less than the high-frequency threshold and equal to or greater than a specified low-frequency threshold, and low-frequency items whose removal frequency is less than the low-frequency threshold. The storage section is configured to be able to store three or more of the items lined up in the shelf depth direction. In one storage section, one or more of the normal storage positions adjacent to the rear side of the shelf relative to the first storage position are set as second storage positions, and one or more of the normal storage positions adjacent to the rear side of the shelf relative to the second storage position are set as third storage positions. It is preferable that the control system controls the conveying device to preferentially store the medium-frequency items in the second storage position and preferentially store the low-frequency items in the third storage position.

According to this configuration, the storage section of the storage shelf is configured to be able to store three or more items lined up in the shelf depth direction, so compared to when only one or two items are stored in one storage section, it is possible to increase the storage rate of items per unit volume and keep the cost of the conveying device low relative to the number of items that can be stored. Furthermore, according to this configuration, the frequency of shipment for each type of item can be divided into at least three stages, and a storage position that preferentially stores each item can be set so that the number of reordering processes that may be required decreases as the frequency of shipment increases. This makes it possible to reduce the frequency of reordering processes for the storage shelf as a whole.

The item storage facility according to the present disclosure is required to achieve at least one of the above-mentioned effects.

1: Storage shelf 1a: Shelf front 3: Entry/exit section 5: Transport device 20: Storage section 21: First state storage section 22: Second state storage section 23: Third state storage section 30: Control system 32: Memory section 60: Transfer device 70: Item type information 71: Delivery frequency information 100: Item storage equipment P: Storage position P1: First storage position P2: Second storage position P3: Third storage position PN: Normal storage position W: Item W1: Delivery item W2: Moving item WH: High frequency item WL: Low frequency item WM: Medium frequency item WN: Normal item Y: Shelf depth direction Y1: Shelf front side Y2: Shelf back side

Claims (11)

An article storage facility including a storage shelf having a plurality of storage sections, a conveying device that conveys an article along a front surface of the storage shelf, which is a front surface of the shelf, and a control system that controls the conveying device,
A direction perpendicular to the shelf front surface is defined as a shelf depth direction, a side of the shelf front surface in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf front side, and a side opposite to the shelf front side in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf back side,
The storage section is configured to be able to store a plurality of the articles in a line in the shelf depth direction,
the transport device includes a transfer device that moves the item from the front side of the shelf to the depth direction of the shelf with respect to the storage shelf, and removes the item from the storage section and stores the item in the storage section;
The control system includes a storage unit in which item type information indicating an item type that is a type of the item and retrieval frequency information indicating a retrieval frequency for each of the items are stored in association with each other,
The item of the item type whose delivery frequency is equal to or greater than a specified high frequency threshold is defined as a high frequency item, and the item of the item type whose delivery frequency is less than the high frequency threshold is defined as a normal item,
The positions at which the plurality of items are respectively stored in the storage section are defined as storage positions, and among the plurality of storage positions in one storage section, one or more storage positions that are closest to the front side of the shelf are defined as first storage positions, and one or more storage positions that are closer to the rear side of the shelf than the first storage positions are defined as normal storage positions,
The control system controls the conveying device so as to preferentially store the high-frequency items in the first storage position and preferentially store the normal items in the normal storage position. The storage section in which the normal item is stored in the normal storage position and the item is not stored in the first storage position is defined as a first state storage section,
The item storage facility of claim 1, wherein the control system controls the conveying device to store the target item at the first storage position of the first state storage section if the first state storage section is present when the target item to be stored on the storage shelf is the high-frequency item. The storage section in which the high frequency item is stored in the normal storage position and the item is not stored in the first storage position is defined as a second state storage section, and the storage section in which the item is not stored in the first storage position or the normal storage position is defined as a third state storage section,
The item storage facility of claim 2, wherein the control system controls the transport device to store the target item at the first storage position of the second state storage section when the first state storage section is not present but the second state storage section is present, and to store the target item at the normal storage position of the third state storage section when the first state storage section and the second state storage section are not present. The storage section in which the object is not stored in the first storage position and the normal storage position is defined as a third state storage section,
The item storage facility described in any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the control system controls the conveying device so that, when the target item to be stored on the storage shelf is the normal item, if the third state storage section is present, the target item is stored in the normal storage position of the third state storage section. The storage section in which the normal item is stored in the normal storage position and the item is not stored in the first storage position is defined as a first state storage section, and the storage section in which the high frequency item is stored in the normal storage position and the item is not stored in the first storage position is defined as a second state storage section,
The item storage facility of claim 4, wherein the control system controls the transport device to store the target item at the first storage position of the first state storage section when the third state storage section is not present but the first state storage section is present, and to store the target item at the first storage position of the second state storage section when the third state storage section and the first state storage section are not present. The storage rack further includes an input/output section into which the items to be stored in the storage rack are carried in and from which the items removed from the storage rack are carried out,
The control system controls the conveying device so that, when the high-frequency items are stored on the storage shelf and there are multiple storage sections capable of storing the high-frequency items, the high-frequency items are preferentially stored in the storage section that is closest to the loading/unloading section, and, when the normal items are stored on the storage shelf and there are multiple storage sections capable of storing the normal items, the conveying device controls the conveying device so that the normal items are preferentially stored in the storage section that is farthest from the loading/unloading section.An item storage facility as described in any one of claims 1 to 5. The item to be taken out from the storage shelf is defined as an outgoing item, and the item stored on the front side of the shelf in the storage section in which the outgoing item is stored is defined as a moving item.
The item storage facility of any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the control system controls the conveying device so that, when performing a cargo handling process to move the moving item to another storage section, if the moving item is the high-frequency item, the moving item is preferentially stored in the first storage position, and if the moving item is the normal item, the moving item is preferentially stored in the normal storage position. The item storage facility according to claim 7, wherein when performing the reordering process and there are multiple storage units capable of storing the movable item, the control system controls the conveying device to preferentially store the movable item in the storage unit that is the shortest distance from the storage unit in which the movable item is stored by the conveying device. The normal items include medium-frequency items whose delivery frequency is less than the high-frequency threshold and equal to or greater than a specified low-frequency threshold, and low-frequency items whose delivery frequency is less than the low-frequency threshold,
The storage section is configured to be able to store three or more of the articles in a row in the shelf depth direction,
In one of the storage sections, one or more of the normal storage positions adjacent to the shelf rear side with respect to the first storage position are set as second storage positions, and one or more of the normal storage positions adjacent to the shelf rear side with respect to the second storage position are set as third storage positions,
The item storage facility according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the control system controls the conveying device to preferentially store the medium frequency items in the second storage position and preferentially store the low frequency items in the third storage position. 1. An item storage method for an item storage facility including a storage shelf having a plurality of storage sections, a conveying device that conveys items along a front surface of the storage shelf, which is a front surface of the shelf, and a control system that controls the conveying device, the method comprising:
A direction perpendicular to the shelf front surface is defined as a shelf depth direction, a side of the shelf front surface in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf front side, and a side opposite to the shelf front side in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf back side,
The storage section is configured to be able to store a plurality of the articles in a line in the shelf depth direction,
the transport device includes a transfer device that moves the item from the front side of the shelf to the depth direction of the shelf with respect to the storage shelf, and removes the item from the storage section and stores the item in the storage section;
Based on information correlating item type information indicating the item type, which is the type of the item, with shipping frequency information indicating the shipping frequency for each item type, the item of the item type whose shipping frequency is equal to or greater than a specified high frequency threshold is determined as a high frequency item, and the item of the item type whose shipping frequency is less than the high frequency threshold is determined as a normal item,
The positions at which the plurality of items are respectively stored in the storage section are defined as storage positions, and among the plurality of storage positions in one storage section, one or more storage positions that are closest to the front side of the shelf are defined as first storage positions, and one or more storage positions that are closer to the rear side of the shelf than the first storage positions are defined as normal storage positions,
An article storage method, comprising controlling the conveying device so as to preferentially store the high-frequency items in the first storage position and to preferentially store the normal items in the normal storage position. An article storage program for controlling an article storage facility including a storage shelf having a plurality of storage sections, a conveying device that conveys an article along a front surface of the storage shelf, which is a front surface of the shelf, and a control system that controls the conveying device,
A direction perpendicular to the shelf front surface is defined as a shelf depth direction, a side of the shelf front surface in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf front side, and a side opposite to the shelf front side in the shelf depth direction is defined as a shelf back side,
The storage section is configured to be able to store a plurality of the articles in a line in the shelf depth direction,
the transport device includes a transfer device that moves the item with respect to the storage shelf from the shelf front side in the shelf depth direction to remove the item from the storage section and store the item in the storage section,
Based on information correlating item type information indicating the item type, which is the type of the item, with shipping frequency information indicating the shipping frequency for each item type, the item of the item type whose shipping frequency is equal to or greater than a specified high frequency threshold is determined as a high frequency item, and the item of the item type whose shipping frequency is less than the high frequency threshold is determined as a normal item,
The positions at which the plurality of items are respectively stored in the storage section are defined as storage positions, and among the plurality of storage positions in one storage section, one or more storage positions that are closest to the front side of the shelf are defined as first storage positions, and one or more storage positions that are closer to the rear side of the shelf than the first storage positions are defined as normal storage positions,
An item storage program for causing a computer of the control system to realize a function of controlling the conveying device so as to preferentially store the high-frequency items in the first storage position and preferentially store the normal items in the normal storage position.

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